High Speed Ceramic Laser Machining

Physical Sciences Inc.

20 New England Business Center
Andover, MA 01810-1077

Contact: Dr. Mark Druy

Phone: (978) 738-8195
Email: druy@psicorp.com
Website: http://www.psicorp.com

Command: NAVAIR
Topic: N06-T012

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Aircraft engine and exhaust washed structures require highly efficient ceramic matrix
composite (CMC) designs to minimize weight and withstand severe environmental
conditions. It is time consuming and expensive to fabricate these components, as they require
significant post-fabrication machining to precise dimensions. The machining process is very
difficult, due to the low thermal conductivity and hard, brittle, abrasive nature of CMCs. As a
result of the unique characteristics of CMCs, existing methods of machining and drilling are
inefficient and expensive. Machine tools are easily damaged and require frequent
replacement due to over-heating and repeated contact with the hard and abrasive material. In
addition, the CMC components are prone to damage from improper machining. A high-speed
machining process is needed to eliminate many of the major cost and risk impediments for
transitioning these materials to aircraft production.

PSI is addressing this need by developing a highly innovative high speed laser machining
center. The PSI laser machine center is demonstrating machining of CMC components at
rates 25 times faster and 1/10 the cost of the original baseline machining techniques. These
improvements are cost and time enabling for production of CMC aircraft components.

Our technology is currently being qualified in the manufacturing line for a specific Navy
platform. The JSF program office is intimately involved with this qualification process.

WHO CAN BENEFIT?

Immediate applications for the PSI Laser Machining Center are CMC engine components for
JSF and other CMC components for other aircraft platforms. In addition, all systems that
want to take advantage of the higher performance, lighter weight and reduced life cycle costs
achieved by use of machined CMC and ceramic components will benefit from this

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technology. This PSI machining technology can be expanded to machine not only additional
aircraft components, but also rapid machining of other ceramic materials. Immediate
applications are:

• ceramic armor
• rocket and hypersonic propulsion components
• advanced aerospace structures
• value added machining of ceramic net shape processed components

BASELINE TECHNOLOGY

The baseline machining technology for ceramic materials is water jet rough cutting or contact
machining (milling). Both operations are used at different times, not necessarily in
combination. In either operation the components are submerged in coolant, requiring costly
and time consuming subsequent cleaning and drying operations. These conventional
machining techniques can cause significant damage to the ceramics. The high costs of these
ceramic machining techniques force designers to accept the lower performance and higher
life cycle costs of metal components in order to meet cost requirements.

For example, for one set of specified CMC engine components contact machining is currently
employed. Their through hole features require the use of two costly tools for every 4 holes. In
production more than 56,000 such features will be machined per year. Contact tool cost is
approximately $400 per hole. Use of the PSI Laser Machining Center will eliminate this
excessive tool wear, yielding for this one set of specified engine components a savings of
$22.4M per year in tool cost alone at full rate production for this platform.

The PSI Laser Machining Center enables a dramatic decrease in ceramic manufacturing costs
so that designers can take full advantage of the benefits ceramics and CMCs offer over metal
components. These advantages include increased durability, higher temperature operation,
longer lifetimes, significantly decreased life cycle cost, and lighter weight. The PSI Laser
Machining Center thus eliminates the traditional production costs of complex shape ceramic
components so that they will be cost competitive with their metal counterparts.

TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION

The PSI laser machining technology employs a highly controlled intense laser cutting head
integrated in a multi-axis Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining base. Laser
intensity and part motion are synchronized to rapidly machine features of interest using
operations that include precision cutting, drilling, beveling and countersinking. Our precision
laser machine process minimizes damage to machined parts and eliminates the need to
replace machining tools. The PSI laser machining center is a dry process as opposed to a wet
process, thus eliminating many manufacturing steps.

The PSI ceramic laser machining process is substantially faster and less costly than the

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current process. For a specific component type, we have demonstrated a 25 fold decrease in
machining time. As described above, the savings in tool acquisition cost are significant,
resulting in greater than a 10 fold decrease in machining costs These savings will accrue on
ceramic propulsion components that are baselined on a current Navy platform.

The PSI Laser Machining Center is cost competitive with existing mill and waterjet
CNC systems and offers dramatically improved ability to machine ceramics and CMC.
For example, Figure 1 shows two typical features we have machined to required tolerance,
and the features, advantages, and benefits of PSI’s laser machining center are shown in Table
1.

Figure 1. PSI laser machined CMC features and aircraft cut-out

Table 1: Features, Advantages, and Benefits

Features Advantages Benefits

Tool Use No high cost Dramatic production
disposabletooling costsavings
Machining Rate Significantly faster Greatly
thantraditional reducedmanufacturing cycle
machiningmethods time
Coolant Usage Coolant free process No risk of material
degradationReduced
manufacturingcycle time

Material Removed Reduction of powdered Increased machine tool life

andabrasive waste
Machining Tolerance Better rough cut tolerance Reduced final machiningtime

Work Piece Fixturing Reduced fixture complexity Reduced machining

setuptime Reduced fixturing
cost

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CURRENT STATE OF DEVELOPMENT

During the Phase II STTR, PSI has successfully integrated a fiber optic delivered laser with a
typical CNC and demonstrated the ability to rapidly machine features of interest to required
tolerances. We have specified a laser machine center that will be installed in a manufacturing
line. System components are being ordered. During the Phase II option, scheduled to begin in
December 2008, we will complete integration of this machine at PSI. We plan to complete
the subsequent installation and shakedown of the CNC laser machine center in the
manufacturing line by July of 2009.

We have machined test specimens that will demonstrate no mechanical or environmental

strength or lifetime knock-downs in comparison to specimens machined using the traditional
methods. A formal test program is underway, and initial results are promising.

We will machine additional qualification specimens under program office funding in the
winter of 2008/2009 using the laser that will be installed in the manufacturing line. These
qualification components will be tested in the Spring of 2009. We continue to develop
machining conditions and specifications for the features of interest with machining rates in
excess of 50 inches/minute.

The technology is currently at TRL of 5. Table 2 shows technology development milestones.

Table 2. PSI Laser Machining Center Development Milestones

Milestone 
 TRL 
 Risk 
 Measure of Success 
 TRL Date 


Subprototype 5
 Low 
 Demonstrated machined features in 7/30/2008 

Demonstrated 
 CMC at specified tolerances 

Demonstrate that 5
 Low 
 Customer acceptance of 10/31/2008 

machined material is not mechanical properties Preliminary
degraded by the laser data indicates no degradation 

machining process 

Phase II Option Begin 
 12/1/2008 

Machine and test 5
 Low 
 Customer acceptance of 3/1/2009 

qualification panels under mechanical properties 

SPO funding 

PSI Laser Machine Tool 6
 Mod Successful component machining 07/15/2009 

Delivery and erate 
 (meeting customer specifications) 

Demonstration 

PSI Ceramic Laser 7
 Low 
 Delivery of Documents 
 12/31/2009 

Machining
Documentation/Training 

PSI Laser Machine 7
 Low 
 Independent operation by customer 
 2/15/2010 

Center qualified during
LRIP 


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PSI is currently providing ceramic and CMC machining services. In addition we will work
with specific customers to develop laser machining processes for their specific applications,
adapting the PSI Laser Machining Center for their specific requirements.

Currently, we are seeking program office and/or commercial support for the adaptation and
qualification of the PSI laser machining processes for additional ceramic component
applications on a range of DoD platforms. PSI laser machining will be cost enabling for
components that include:

• additional aircraft engine and air frame ceramic components

• ceramic armor
• rocket and hypersonic propulsion components
• advanced aerospace structures
• value added machining of ceramic net shape processed components

REFERENCES

Please coordinate all contacts with the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC).

• TPOC, 301-342-9343
• TPOC, 301-342-9355
• Terry Brady, ABL/ATK Terry.brady@atk.com

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Physical Sciences Inc (PSI) is a 35 year old, $40M/year employee owned company whose
objective is to bridge the gap between the federal government and prime contractors in the
research, development and deployment of technology. Our focus is to provide contract
research and development services in a variety of technical areas to both government and
commercial customers. PSI’s sustainable competitive advantage lies in its ability to undertake
product development through manufacturing prototype and ultimately transition it to the
military and commercial market sectors through direct sales and marketing strategic
partnerships, pilot scale manufacturing, and licensing our proprietary products and systems.

PSI will supply laser-machining centers to manufacturers of ceramic components and they
are available for purchase. In addition, PSI intends to operate a laser-machining center for
both toll machining and machining process development services. Capital for the facility will
be raised internally by PSI. This approach leverages the strengths of PSI to develop new
technology while enabling our partners to quickly utilize these new abilities in their existing
manufacturing environments.

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